Christmas Shopping
by briastar00
Summary: Two-shot. Cori friendship, Tandre, plus a little bit of Cabbie and Bade. I woke up at like seven this morning and typed this so it isn't my best work, but go easy on me please
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed on my last story! *sends a virtual hug and cookies to each of you* To all of you that haven't...go do it lol! With all the Christmas stories going around, I decided to do one, too.**

**Like the last one, this one is kinda based off a real event(me and my sis hunting for last minute Christmas gifts this morning lol) and, due to this extreme case of writer's block I seem to be having, this might be my last fic for a while. You guys can feel free to message me some ideas though! They'll be greatly appreciated!**

**And, of course, I DO NOT OWN VICTORIOUS!(Yet, that is. *evil grin*)**

**One more thing. This thign is screwing up, and wouldn't let me put little marker to indicate a time skip, so I just italicized the first line of each time skip. Kay?**

**Ok, that is all. Enjoy the story!**

"Um, Cat?" I chose my words carefully as the tiny redhead pulled me through the mall, "You do know that Christmas is in two days...right?"

"I know!" she cried, practically bouncing up and down, "I'm sooooooo excited! Aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am, but...this is kinda super last minute shopping, don't you think?"

Finally, she stopped and turned to look at me, chewing on her hair nervously.

"I know but, I...I really wanna get Robbie a great Christmas present and Jade said the first present I bought was stupid and she didn't want to come with me to pick a new one and neither did Beck and so I asked you!"

"Oh, well, thanks," I smiled weakly, "What did you get him before?"

"Oh, it was a big tube of cupcake-flavored toothpaste!" she beamed, "My brother found it for me. Robbie always checks his breath around me, and _everyone_ likes cupcakes, so I thought maybe he would like it if his breath always smelled like cupcakes!"**(AN: this stuff really does exist. Some kid gave it to my brother as a gag gift lol)**

"Um..."

"And besides," she added brightly, "You still have to find a present for Andre!"

"I...what?"

"Find a present! 'Cause I'm getting Robbie one and Jade got Beck one, so you've got to get Andre one. That way, we'll all have gotten something for the guys we like!"

"Cat, I don't...wait. Did you just admit to liking Robbie?"

"I guess I did," she said, blushing, "And you like Andre. Don't deny it."

I opened my mouth, then closed it and smiled. Who was I to argue with a hyped-up Cat?

"Fine," I sighed, "Where to first?"

_"Hey, what about this?"_

I turned around to look, then immediately freaked as Cat held out a psycho clown-looking puppet thing.

"Um...yeah, t-that's nice, Cat," I managed to say, "B-but, uh, don't you think Robbie would like something a little less...Halloween-ish?"

"Oh, poo," she tossed the puppet in a pile with the other reject gifts she had found and pouted.

I sighed. We had been in almost every shop the mall had to offer, and so far, neither of us could find anything. We had finally decided to raid a ventriloquist's store for Robbie. Who knows, we might find something to make him finally give up Rex.

"We're never gonna find good gifts, are we, Tori?" Cat asked dejectedly.

"Sure we will, Cat," I tried to sound cheerful for her, "We just have to keep looking."

"Can I help you ladies find anything?" we both looked up as the salesclerk-a lanky, awkward man who was dressed up like a puppet himself- spoke.

"Not unless you've got something to help a shy boy let go of his unmannered puppet," I muttered.

"Shy boy...unmannered puppet...I think I might have just the thing."

He disappeared into the back, then returned with a bleach-blonde, half dressed female puppet on his hand.

"Her name is Bekka," he said, "She's a part of our new Northridge series. I think she should do just the trick for this young man."

"It's perfect!" Cat exclaimed, "What do you think, Tori?"

"I think it'll keep Rex entertained long enough for you to get Robbie to yourself," I agreed.

"I'll take it!" she grabbed the salesclerk's and and pulled him towards the register.

I smiled after her, then sighed to myself. Great. Cat had a great present for Robbie. Jade probably had something great for Beck. What could I get Andre? Maybe I could still give him the little ceramic guitar...no. That was stupid. I couldn't give him that. But if not that, then what?

Then I saw it.

It was in a display case in the jewelry shop across for me. A set of silver dog tags. I got up and went to get a closer look. One of the dog tags had a music note engraved into it, the other simply said 'Add Personal Engravment Here.'

"You like those?" the jeweler asked me, "Pure sterling silver. And they're own sale today, only $30."

I thought about it, then asked, "What about the engraving? How long will that take?"

"Normally, around two or three days," I felt my heart sink, "Is it for someone special?"

"It is," I said softly, already imagining Andre's face when he saw it, "Someone really special."

The man smiled. "Then for you, I can have it done in no time. Anything special you want it to say?"

"No, sir. Just put 'Merry Christmas, Andre!' on it."

"Andre, huh? You're name wouldn't happen to be...Tori, would it?"

"...Yeah, it is." How did this guy know my name?

But the guy just chuckled and reached for the tags. "Gimme about ten minutes, and I'll have your engraving done. You can pay now, if you'd like."

_"I'm soooooo excited!" Cat squealed, jumping around as we headed back to the car, "I can't wait to give Robbie his present!"_

"Yeah, freedom from Rex. Who wouldn't want that?" I laughed.

"So, did you ever find Andre anything?"

"Oh, I found something," I touched the small black box in my coat pocket where Andre's dog tags, engraved and all, rested, "Hey, Cat? I've got an idea."

"What?"

"Well, since tomorrow's Christmas Eve, why don't we have a Christmas party? We can invite everybody and exchange presents then?"

"Yay! That's a great idea, Tori! I'm gonna call Jade and tell her and Beck about it now!" she whipped out her phone and was dialing as she spoke. This is gonna be sooooooo fun!"

I smiled and touched the box again. It sure was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright you guys, This is it. Writer's block and a super busy day contributed in this not turning out the way I expected but...eh. It's decent. So...here ya go.**

The party didn't happen.

Well, at least not how it was supposed to.

Jade texted Cat back yesterday and told her that she and Beck already had plans for Christmas Eve. Something involving his RV and some mistletoe.

Yeah. I didn't wanna know.

Robbie and Andre were the only two who said they could come, but then Cat texted me last minute to say that she hadn't been able to wait to give Robbie his present, so now they were spending the day at her house while Rex and Bekka got acquainted in Robbie's closet.

Just as I decided to text Andre to tell him the party was off, he showed up at my door, arms laden with pizza, cookies, and soda.

"Figured just because everyone else had other plans, doesn't mean we still couldn't hang," he said.

So here we were, sprawled out on my couch in the living room, watching _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_.

"I don't care if he is some kind of green monster thing," Andre said as we watched a little Grinch go on his 'I Hate Christmas!' rampage, "No eight year old can lift a tree that big. It just ain't possible."

"I kinda feel bad for him, though," I said, "I mean, he did all that to impress the girl he liked and he got laughed for it. It's sad."

"Yeah. Kids just don't realize that little green monsters have feelings, too."

I had to laugh at that. Andre joined in and soon we were both laughing our heads off.

"So," he said as soon as he regain control of himself, "Cat says you've got a present for me. Where is it?"

I sighed. Damn Cat.

"Oh, it's around here..." I averted his gaze, instead studying my nails, "...Somewhere."

"You don't wanna give it to me," he pretended to pout.

He was so cute when he pouted. I stood up and stretched.

"Where you goin'?" he asked.

"To get your gift."

I ran upstairs and grabbed the little black box from my dresser, hands trembling. If everyone had showed up as planned, this would have been a lot easier. But just me and him...

"You're just giving him a present, Tori," I told myself, "No big deal."

Right. Giving my best friend that I had a crush on a present. No big deal at all. I sighed and headed back downstairs. Andre was sitting up on the couch when I got back, toying with his fingers. He looked up when he saw me.

"Merry Christmas, 'Dre," I said softly, "Here."

I held the box out to him.

"Tori, this is...wow," the dog tags glinted in the light as he held them up.

"So...does that mean you like it?"

He didn't say anything; he just reached into his jacket and pulled out a black box, identical to the one I just handed him. "Merry Christmas, Tori."

I opened it. Inside was a necklace with a silver heart on the end. The heart was engraved with a music note on the front, and 'Merry Christmas, Tori!' engraved on back.

"I saw it in the mall, thought it would be perfect," he explained, "Guy in the shop said the necklace came with a set of dog tags, a matching set. He said normally when guys come in here and buy that necklace, the girl they were buying it for would come back around and buy the tags. Everytime. Said it happened so often, he could guess the girl's name when she told him what to engrave the tags with."

"That's how he knew my name..."

"Yep," a small smile pulled at his lips, "Do you like it?"

"'Dre, I...I love it."

"Good," he stood up and, before I knew what was happening, he pulled me to him and pressed his lips against mine.

"Merry Christmas, Tori," he whispered.

I smiled. "Merry Christmas, Andre."

**...Well? Review please!**


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